We are a cross-industry, global professional women's network committed to the success and economic engagement of women. Our community is made up of successful, motivated and passionate professional women with one common believe - that investing in themselves and in other women is good business. We provide our members opportunities to connect online and through in-person networking events, to learn through our on-demand educational webinars and invest their time and experience in other women. Learn more: www.ellevatenetwork.com

Green Tech: Finally, A Female-Friendly Engineering-Tech-Energy Field?

More than 150 years after its founding, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, arguably the world’s No. 1 math, science and engineering school, finally decided to address its student gender balance. It began with a construction project to put more women’s restrooms in its historic Infinite Corridor. You may laugh (especially at this picture), but this is reflective of the historical fact that there was traditionally very few women at MIT. Today, MIT and other top institutions have a more balanced male to female student ratio as society and universities finally recognize that math, science, and engineering are not just for boys anymore.

Years after earning my graduate engineering degree from MIT (and using the newly-constructed women’s restrooms), I am back in San Francisco pursuing a career in green/clean technology where I can channel my passion in technology innovation to transform the way we generate, manage and consume energy. Here in Silicon Valley, women are still under-represented in many fields, including one of the fastest growing: green/clean technology.

Although it is still a male-dominated area, there is a lot of hope that unlike the telecom, semiconductor or computer fields, cleantech can become a sector where women become more engaged.

While many clean technology leaders come from the male-dominated oil and gas and utility industries, research suggests that women are more likely to be drawn to cleantech because it serves a higher purpose of creating a sustainable environment for this generation and beyond.

The National Science Foundation issued a study that concluded, “Women are more likely to stay in a technology career when they are allowed to affect a social issue.” Green technology is really a mix of technology, humanities, social sciences, and engineering that strives to make a real difference in the world.

My own story is a case in point. When I was considering several options to continue my career in green technology, I had three main criteria – aspiration, innovation and transformation. It was not easy to find the right combination of the three.

Many companies have aspiration but few have the capability to innovate, let alone transform. That is why I was so excited for the opportunity to join Trilliant, a global clean technology leader focused on delivering the Smart Grid. Smart what?, you may ask. Smart Grid — making the electrical grid ‘smart’ so we can improve energy efficiency, integrate renewable energy resources, reduce carbon emissions, gain energy independence, and install smart solar panels. One day we may even have the smart iCar electric vehicles from Apple (just half-kidding!).

Even President Obama has a Smart Grid game plan. By working in cleantech, you will have the opportunity to work on exciting, innovative stuff that has the potential to completely transform the world. A lot of people draw the parallel with the development of the personal computer and the networking infrastructure that became the foundation of the Internet.

In its infancy, very few people knew what the Internet was (except for the guys and gals at MIT, of course). Decades later, it completely revolutionized the world and transformed the way we communicate with each other. Today, can you imagine a world without Facebook, Google, Amazon, YouTube…my article on Forbes.com?

No, of course! In a similar way, the Smart Grid is enabling the Energy Internet — laying the groundwork that will enable all kinds of cool energy applications we cannot even think of today.

Going back to women and cleantech, “How do we get more women interested in and succeed in clean technology?” is the question often asked. It has to start with intellectual capital. Parents, schools and the government need to encourage young girls to study math and science, in addition to economics and humanities. At the White House’s “Women in Technology” panel, a female engineering VP said, “Girls need more female role models who are good in math and science. From a young age, girls need to know that being good in math and science is cool and is not only for boys.”

Second, everyone should realize that clean technology is growing and the US has to get serious about “green” to stay competitive globally. Third, in the next decade or so, more trained energy professionals will retire, opening new opportunities for the next generations. Last, it is not bad being “green” for those green jobs also pay green dividends as well.

Sonita Lontoh is a clean/green technology executive. With more than a decade of experience, she is passionate about leveraging innovation to transform the way we generate and consume energy to combat climate change. Sonita holds a Master of Engineering from MIT and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She earned her B.S. in Industrial Engineering & Operations Research from UC Berkeley. Visit Sonita’s profile on LinkedIn.

Post Your Comment

Post Your Reply

Forbes writers have the ability to call out member comments they find particularly interesting. Called-out comments are highlighted across the Forbes network. You'll be notified if your comment is called out.